verb
Uncommon
dunk
duhngk
Dunk (verb) means to dip something briefly into a liquid. Example: “She loves to dunk her biscuits in tea.”
verb
1
To dip something briefly into a liquid.
"She loves to dunk her biscuits in tea."
"He dunked his head under the tap to cool off."
2
In basketball, to slam the ball down through the hoop while holding the rim.
"The crowd roared when he dunked over two defenders."
noun
1
The act of dunking, especially a basketball slam dunk.
"That last-second dunk won them the game."
How to use dunk
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo dip something in liquid, or to slam a basketball through the hoop.
Common pairings
dunk a biscuit
slam dunk
dunk the ball
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like dunk.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- dunks
- Third person singular
- dunks
- Past tense
- dunked
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She loves to _____ her biscuits in tea.
Etymology
From Pennsylvania German dunke, tracing back to Old High German dunkōn, "to dip" — the same root family that gave English "tint" and "tincture."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for dunk
See all rhymes for dunk →Frequently asked questions
What does “dunk” mean?
The word “dunk” means to dip something briefly into a liquid. In plain terms, to dip something in liquid, or to slam a basketball through the hoop.
How do you pronounce “dunk”?
“Dunk” is pronounced duhngk (/dʌŋk/ in IPA).
How do you use “dunk” in a sentence?
Here is “dunk” used in a sentence: “She loves to dunk her biscuits in tea.”
What part of speech is “dunk”?
Depending on how it is used, “dunk” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “dunk” come from?
The word “dunk” comes from German. From Pennsylvania German dunke, tracing back to Old High German dunkōn, "to dip" — the same root family that gave English "tint" and "tincture.".
Is “dunk” a common word?
“Dunk” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “dunk” have?
“Dunk” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to dip something briefly into a liquid.
What is the difference between a dunk and a slam dunk?
A dunk in basketball refers to any shot where a player slams the ball down through the hoop while holding the rim, while slam dunk is often used interchangeably or to emphasize a particularly forceful or dramatic dunk.
Can dunk be used outside of basketball?
Yes, dunk is commonly used in everyday contexts to describe dipping something briefly into a liquid, such as dunking a biscuit in tea or dunking bread in soup.
Is dunk used as both a noun and a verb?
Yes, dunk works as a verb meaning to dip something into liquid or to slam a basketball through the hoop, and as a noun referring to the act itself, especially a basketball slam dunk.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include dunk:
